I just wanna know
by Sesshylovers
Summary: She a runner/I'm a thrower/ She wears sweaters/I wear mini skirts/ will you look at me? Just tell me/ where did you get your hair dyed! Elsa!Anna, not sisters, college au. Summary may be changed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Noticed

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Anna noticed her before of course, sitting in class by the windows in a class of eighty students, but it was that notice of- oh look that person has really really light hair, is it white or blonde? Sort of way when they are surrounded by dark haired people, and that was it. She was on the other side of the room, sitting between her new roommate and her boyfriend.

But now as Anna pressed her body against the fence, not hearing the next person on deck for the throw, she wished she paid a bit more attention now. _Ah sweet chocolate this woman could win!_ Others were cheering loudly, Anna's own vocal cords were straining as the woman hauled butt down the lanes of the track, her white and green uniform blurring past and staying in front of the red and white uniforms, her hair (really was it white or blonde?) flaring behind her.

"Bisset, you're up!" One of the teammates yelled, and she rushed to pull off her sweat pants, the stupid zipper catching around her foot, but she got it off along with the sweatshirt, her mind clearing as she picked up the shot put, her thumb brushing off a clod of dirt as she entered the back half of the circle. She took a deep breath, the sounds around her becoming white noise as she rested the shot put against her chin, keeping her blue eyes up, up, up, and then _snap!_ She kicked back, her body staying low, her hips pivoting, and another snap as the shot put released into the air and settled into the wet dirt.

Anna let out a low breath, exiting the back half of the circle as her team mates clapped as she made an awkward half run to pick up her shot up, her ears sharp for the sound of her measurement.

"Thirty five, five." The official announced, their dainty white shoe that was going to get ruined, holding the yellow measuring tape down like it was going to blow away.

"That's great for the first throw of the season!" One of the girls, Paulina, congratulated her as she took the shot put from her hands.

"Thanks! Did you go already?" Anna asked, her eyes darting to the track, but that event was already over.

"Yeah, I was the one before you." Paulina revealed as she cleaned the shot put, but seeing the girl in practice Anna knew Paulina didn't mind a bit of dirt at all.

"What did you get?" She asked, taking the towel from Paulina to wipe her own hands before she was going to her uniform back on.

"Thirty nine, sadly." Anna looked hard at the girl for a moment, her blue eyes squinting at the freckled girl who generally seemed disappointed at the measurement.

"Did you see who won the event?" Anna changed the subject, jerking her head to the track.

"Oh that was Kruger." Paulina's tone was familiar, but Anna didn't know any Kruger. . .

"Who's Kruger? Was it one of ours?" She asked through the sweatshirt, it was so comfortable but not warm enough when the wind came strong.

"Yeah, it was the white haired girl, Elsa." Paulina reaffirmed, clapping loudly as one of the throwers got a decent measurement.

"How well do you know her?" Anna asked on impulse, watching the opposing teammate's technique critically.

"As well as you can know a roommate, she's pretty cool, helps me with some of my art." Paulina answered before leaving Anna by the benches to jump back and forth, the girl's face becoming fierce.

Anna found herself looking back to the track more, waiting to see the girl run again. And sure enough when it came to the four by fours the Elsa girl was jumping and stretching, unfortunately it was her turn to throw. By the time Anna finished her awkward half run to get her shot put and back the girl had already handed over her baton. Anna pouted a moment, but like before she turned back to her own event. Everyone was packing up to go to the next event and she followed.

Discus was quick, though her steps were clumsily and off centered. Her pink metal discus hit the pole twice, and the third came out low. Coach Jill, a darker skinned lady with bright red hair, told her simple things like, look up, raise your hand more. But all it did was frustrate her more.

Anna looked at the circle with a scowl, which got even worse when she saw how straight and far Paulina's discus flew out. But as suddenly as it clouded over her face it dissipated.

"Hey," Anna took the black discus from Paulina. "I wanted to know if you could coach me a bit in discus someday. I could met you at your dorm room then head out with you." Anna asked, but her mind was more on the lines of if she could find out who this Kruger woman was. Knowing that class she wouldn't be able to speak to her at all, but this plan could work. Anna knew it sounded strange, but she had to know who dyed Kruger's hair!

"Sure, that means we can do a warm up mile easily beforehand." Paulina answered, not knowing why Anna actually asked. But at those words Anna bit her lip, _did she really want to know who dye that woman's hair if she had to run a mile?_ "See you on Saturday." Paulina smiled at her, waving goodbye as she picked up her stuff and left.

Anna quickly shoved her pink discus into her soft pink work out bag, slinging the back strap over her shoulder and rushed from her finished events to see if she could just find Kruger, ask about the dye, and then get out of this one mile run business.

But after Anna pushed her small legs across the field, she found that her team mates were already leaving as the ending speech was finished long before the throwing events were done. Her small shoulders slumped a bit, now that she thought about it she really didn't care about who dyed her hair. . . Okay that was a lie she admitted to herself.

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A/n:

Hey look at who is not writing their IB English year two summer assignment that is due in a few days! Or updated Keyframe! ME.

Okay, I am a straight woman, but I'm writing this because my boyfriend has been reading a lot of Elsa!Anna fan fiction, and I am a jealous person and wanted to give him reason to actually read my work. . . and so hello, my first lesbian fan fiction.

They are not sisters, hence different last names. They are in college, and yes may be a bit OOC, so please keep with it :) And please please please don't judge me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: No.

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 **Sometimes the world doesn't need another hero, sometimes what it needs is a monster. And as the youth looked down at her dead comrades, the arrows still protruding from their soft flesh, she knew that she was going to be that monster—**

Elsa broke off her writing, her mind now wondering over what sound track would best be played in the background as the screen illumined her face, and so that was how she had five tabs open on youtube and ended up watching a documentary on seahorses. To say the least her writing muse had up and left the building.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" A muffled voice made it to Elsa's ears, and so with some reluctance she looked over to her roommate as she pulled off her unnecessarily large headphones.

"Hey Pear." Elsa smiled at her roommate, moving her legs to straddle her chair as her roommate continued to dry her hair with her towel.

"I have a thrower that wants some extra practice on Saturday, and she really seemed like she had an enthusiastic question for you. No I didn't ask what it was. So join us, won'tcha?" Elsa tugged on one of the lose threads of her chair as her roommate talked before shrugging.

"Alright, but only if you will be my model for reference pictures." Elsa offered, her eyebrow raised and her lips turned to the side.

"Deal, but don't call me pear in front of others." Paulina concluded.

"You're right, I'm sure your boooyfriend won't want others to look at you, or be happy that I'm calling you that even though I'm straight." Elsa laughed and was joined in by her.

"Sadly that's true, but eh. So tell me what scene you're trying to write." Paulina slide her rolling chair over to her, happy to help even though she didn't ask for any.

"I have everything else mapped out," she waved her hand to the very large stack of papers that stuck out of an orange shoe box that was on the top shelf of her deck, she ignored out it looked like it was going to fall over. "But the first few scenes, and its killing me."

"Well once that paper that's coming up—"

"What paper?" Elsa leaned back, pressing her lips together.

"Well I _heard_ from a certain assistant that your professor is throwing you guys a surprise paper that," Paulina paused for effect, her voice displaying her horror. "Requires a partner." Elsa laid her head down on her deck with a light thump, the stack of papers shifting dangerously close to falling.

"It'll be okay," Paulina patted her back like a mother. "Just find someone that doesn't pile all the work on you."

"Yeah, yeah." Elsa waved her hand from side to side, pouting. "Why didn't your boyfriend tell you about it earlier?"

"Oh he did. . . I, uh, forgot about it. Heh, anyway, goodnight!" Paulina quickly left her side of the room even though she knew Elsa wouldn't yell- loudly. _Psh_ , how good having an inside scoop on professor's hidden torture lists if it wasn't revealed fast enough. But she let out a sigh, knowing that if it was going to happen she still had another week at least. So with a blurry rub of her cornflower colored eyes she closed her laptop, shuffled out of her chair and curled into her bed. Her muscles took a few minutes to get comfortable, the warm shower was good for the sore muscles but after a while that effect faded, but the discomfort would dissipate as well.

Saturday came quick, and Elsa was up before her roommate. She took her time getting into her shorts and thin shirt, stretching her arms up and out, the satisfying pop of her shoulders loud in the morning air. "What time is she supposed to be here?" Elsa asked, crossed legged in her chair, her fingers pulling her white hair back tightly as she was already told about the one mile run that was to take place.

"Six forty." Paulina answered flippantly, and the red numbers on the clock revealed that it was already six thirty seven.

"So much about breakfast." She pulled her hair tie tight at the end of her hair and let go, feeling the satisfying swing of it.

"It'll taste even better after the work out-" Paulina was interrupted by a soft knock, as if the person didn't want to be heard. _Probably just doesn't want to run. Throwers._ Elsa lazily walked over to the door as her roommate tied her shoes, and was met with a small woman with Nordic blue eyes and red hair pulled back in such interlocking braids that it must have taken her forever to get them like that.

"Hello Bisset." Elsa leaned against the door, the woman was smiling like she was seeing chocolate while on her menstruation cycle.

"Hello! You must be Elsa!" Or maybe this woman was more like a puppy. Yes a small red puppy with blue eyes.

"Yes I am—"

"Time to go!" Paulina announced a second before she shoved Elsa out of the doorway, and she was able to elegantly side step the puppy-woman, but Bisset must be really clumsily because in her step back she was met with the floor. Elsa leaned down, her hand held out to help.

"No wonder you can't throw a discus." Paulina muttered behind her breathe and Elsa squashed a laugh, it was no good to be rude.

"I'm sorry, usually I'm not so clumsily." Bisset babbled, her cheeks pink as she took Elsa's hand and was pulled up easily.

"It's fine, there's worse out there." Elsa told her as she released her hand, following her impatient roommate.

It was brisk this morning, the dew fresh in the grass and the sun shyly peaked her face out. She was grateful for having this run so early, by the time it would end the sun would no longer be shy and all the dew on the grass would be gone quicker than a blink. They jogged down the hill, on the small trail that would lead off into the park that was a bit away.

"So," Anna gasped trying to keep up with Elsa's long legs, her face now completely flushed and small stands came out of her over done hairdo. "How long," she puffed again. "Have you been running?"

"I always enjoyed it, so it seemed natural to join a running sport as soon as I was able . . . do you need a break?" Elsa didn't look at the puppy-woman, her strides easy and effortless.

"Nope! I'm great." Anna huffed, her small arms moving quicker. "So I wanted to know—" she broke off as they passed a soft bend in the trail, the large hill sticking out of the ground like a giant's thigh.

"Hey, Pear, let's take a breather." Elsa called out and they all walked slowly to the start of the hill. Anna was taking deep breathes, her hands braced on her knees. Paulina was looking up at the hill, her own breath uneven. Elsa rested her hands on her hips. They could jog up the hill at an easy pace, but Bisset looked like she was going to kneel over, so with that in mind Elsa decided.

"We can walk up the hill, it'd be safer anyway until we reach even ground." She announced, and Paulina nodded, already walking up the hill. Elsa stayed a bit to make sure that Bisset wasn't going to stop breathing then started her own climb.

"So I really wanted to know who dyed your hair- my mother owns her own hair salon and I just love showing her other people's hairstyles and things you know because it makes her happy and the—" Bisset babbled, her breath no longer straining.

"I've never dyed it." Elsa revealed bluntly, ignoring how the puppy-woman tripped a bit.

"It's naturally white, wow that's amazing. It's so pretty, do you mind if I take a picture of it when we're done?" Anna asked eagerly as she steadied herself.

"No." Elsa's voice was no longer light like usual but was like ice, her cornflower colored eyes just as hard as a sea frozen over.

"W-why not?" Anna asked, pausing at the top of the hill as Elsa kept walking.

"Because I don't want you to." She stopped, her darkening cornflower eyes meeting Anna's wide innocent Nordic blue eyes, the surprise evident in the whites of her eyes that glimmered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. . ." Anna looked down, her face flushed again and she stayed there a bit longer as Elsa continued to walk down the hill.

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A/N:

Thank you for all the wonder reviews! I'm sorry for how OOC this is so far, I'm slowly learning the character's voices in this type of setting and backstory, but don't worry Elsa and Anna's natural voices are in there somewhere.

IceWraith\- Haha, I'm glad you found it amusing. Yes it did! Though I don't know how long considering how OOC this is

.3 \- thank you for such a nice welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: I bet

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"What's the deal with Elsa and her hair?" Anna asked as she set down her standard black tray that was heaped with hash browns, eggs, ham, some grapes and then two bagels; one with strawberry cream cheese and one with regular cream cheese, and lastly her cup of strawberry milk.

"It's one of those things you don't ask." Paulina answered with a shrug, but with the expression that flinted past Anna knew she had more knowledge than she let on, but she sat down without calling her out on it, she would find out one way or another.

Anna ate with single minded determination, her aches forgotten with the food in front of her. This morning was brutal for her, and that was just getting herself up so early. Even in grade school she never got up so early, instead sleeping in the latest she could without getting in trouble. It didn't help that all classes she picked this semester indulged her love of staying up late and then sleeping in.

She almost missed the moment Elsa sat down with them, the taller girl with a tray with fruits on it and ham and an ityy bitty salad. She couldn't help the look she gave Elsa, who could live on that? What was it, rabbit food? She looked like she'd fit in with Wonder Woman, warriors couldn't live on rabbit food. Paulina laughed as Elsa rolled her eyes.

"You should see her at lunch, it's triple what you have on your plate in one sitting." Paulina fake whispered, her hand covering the side where Elsa was sitting on though the woman could hear her perfectly fine. Anna stifled her giggle, eyeing Elsa's physical form. From seeing her work out with them she could believe it, Paulina ran them through the dirt with her drills. Anna was sure that she would still be sore when finals came around- and that was months away! Okay, okay she was never that active, but she was active enough to get the partial scholarship to this University. She liked be healthy, but she loved watching her mother in her salon, laughing with her costumers and making them see the beauty that was inside of them with a new hairdo or highlights, or even different cuts that would see how beautiful their chins actually were, or the slant of their eyes. She wanted others to see that, to see how beautiful and pure that they really were.

"I'll be seeing you same time next week." Paulina broke through Anna's thoughts, and she blinked at her retreating form. It was now just her and Elsa, and that knowledge made her a bit hyper and flushed like she got with any crush. Anna could debate herself breathless to say she didn't have a crush on her, but she had enough female ones to know how she felt. Anna couldn't help it, seeing her work out and smile and just be made her happy.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier, if I knew that it was a tender spot I would have been a bit more considerate." Anna revealed to Elsa, looking up at her through her eyelashes but was unable to read the taller girl's expression. Elsa nodded slowly, chewing the salad that was in her mouth when she asked the question.

"Its fine, I was a bit rude as well." Elsa told her evenly, moving one of the cherry tomatoes in her salad around.

"How about this- to make it up to you tomorrow we'll go shopping tomorrow!" Anna babbled, pulling the idea out of her ass. Seriously? Shopping? The girl looked like she couldn't care less about what she was wearing. "Or we could, uh, go to a museum!" Ugh! Why couldn't she think of anything cool to do?

"Going to a museum sounds cool, I'll see you after my three o clock class. Do I need to bring my bike?" Elsa answered, as if Anna wasn't internally gushing and freaking out.

"Uh, no that's okay I'll pick you up in my car." Anna cleared her throat, why would she own a bike? But maybe she should buy a bike and then they can go on bike rides- when it's near a sunset, it'd be so romantic! Wait, wait. Time to stop those thoughts, it's not like the girl even wants to be her friend . . . it never occurred to Anna that Elsa was straight or anything.

"Your car? How old are you?" Elsa asked, her one perfectly plucked eyebrow raised high and Anna couldn't help her surprise at the question.

"I'm nineteen, how old did you think I was?" Anna asked as she nibbled on her bagel, it'd be no use if Elsa asked her a question while her mouth would be full.

"Maybe seventeen, some freshmen are that young when they come in." Elsa told her with a straight face and Anna felt her stomach drop a bit. "How old are you? I mean you're a freshmen as well . . . ?" She had to be, right? They had the same history class.

"I turned nineteen two weeks ago." Elsa answered slowly. "And yes I'm a freshmen, we share a class." Sometime during this conversation Elsa finished her salad and started clean her things up.

"I'll see you after three tomorrow." Elsa smiled at her as she got up out of her seat.

"Oh, okay. You're very busy?" Anna could help the words that bubbled out of her mouth, and she mentally winced at them. Usually she had more social grace, but it seemed she lost it around Elsa.

"Not particularly. . . I'm working on my manuscript before I work on my art assignments." Elsa told her easily, and Anna found herself rushing to get up, stuffing the rest of her food in her mouth as she threw away the food with her to stay talking.

"Can I see them? If you don't mind? I mean you look like an artist type and everything, so it'd be interesting to see your style and everything. And since we'll be going to a museum tomorrow it'd be cool what you like and all of that, you know. . ." Anna quickly closed her mouth, her face flushing at her blabbing. Even with her last crush she never was this bad in the beginning.

"I guess . . . as long as you don't touch anything." Elsa relented, her expression hard.

"Thank you! This will be awesome, I can't wait to be good friends with you soon." Anna quicken her pace, her sore calf muscles completely forgotten.

"We're not even friends yet." Elsa laughed, her rounded white teeth peeking from her mouth.

"Just you see, I bet we'll be friends by the time I finish looking at your art." Anna found herself saying, her hands motioning.

"I bet we won't." Elsa retorted as she led them out of the building, and Anna moved so that she could walk beside comfortably on the side walk, avoiding the grass that was raising their small green arms up to the sky.

"And what do I get if I win?" Anna couldn't help how hopeful her tone was, really she should take a class in social cues or something.

"I'll chip for gas." Elsa looked at her from the side, moving her white hair from her neck, her expression hard to read. "And if I win you have to buy pizza."

"Deal." Anna grinned largely, clumsily stepping forward, her clean white tennis shoes sinking into the grass. It was no longer wet, the sun made sure of that, but it was soft enough to make her fail to the side like a wet cat.

Elsa unhurriedly opened her door with her key, the suit nice and cool as they walked in. Just from walking in Anna could tell that Elsa and her roommate kept everything clean, it looked like nothing was out of place, not even a fingerprint on one of the mirrors. One side of the room was bare of posters, but the desk was full of pictures of Paulina and a man with curly hair, maybe it was her boyfriend? The other side which was Elsa's was full of posters. There was posters from Supernatural, Disney movies and a lot of official art for different video games and different anime.

"Wow, it looks like fangirls threw up all over your side of the room." Anna couldn't help the comment but was rewarded with a sheepish smile from Elsa.

"Yeah I know, it's just I love them so much." Elsa gleamed a bit as she slid into the chair, the wheels moving a bit so she had to shuffle her feet a bit to get to the desk. She opened up a deep drawer that stuck a bit and made an "ekeey" sound, but it wasn't too loud. Anna found her eyes drawn up to the top of the desk as a pile of papers moved back and forth like jello, it made Anna nervous just looking at it.

"Here, these are my sketches from class. Behind my towel hanging up is all my canvases and things, though don't mess with them too much if you decide to look at them." Elsa told her with a flick of her wrist, and Anna awkwardly stayed standing next to her.

"You can sit on the bed you know." Elsa spoke softly, her chin raised up for once to look at Anna.

"Ah, thank you." Anna fumbled, kicking off her shoes and then crawled onto the bed and surprisingly finding it uncomfortable, it was as if the Elsa didn't bring anything for it. Anna quickly pushed that thought aside, it was rude of her. She curled her legs underneath her even though she knew they'd fall asleep, the pillow tucked in the curve of her back and her head against the wall as she looked at the sketchbook in her lap. The sketchbook was stuffed with lose papers which stuck out at the sides, so Anna carefully opened it.

The first few pages were full of poses, their references tucked in with them, then slowly the art work became deeper. There was eyes peeking out of hair, men in armor, vases with such life like flowers it made Anna slowly trace them. Somewhere along the line she was amazed with one artwork, it was a woman reaching up to the sun, her hair flaring out, and in the hair was the galaxy at the top of the hair and then fades into thinks like trees and flowers, the bottom of fading into the page. Anna couldn't tell what was used at first, but when her pinky slid across the page she figured it was a type of chalk because it came off and stuck to her pinky.

"Your work is beautiful Elsa." Anna whispered, looking over at the woman bent over her laptop, her fingers quickly tapping on the keys.

"Thank you." Elsa answered slowly but her fingers continued typing out their message. She leaned back in her seat before looking at Anna. "I have some more work to do and I'm sure you have a lot to do, so see you tomorrow."

"Oh, uh, yeah see you tomorrow." Anna fumbled for words for a moment as she handed back the sketchbook. She slid off the bed slowly, her legs wobbly as she stood. She awkwardly fixed the bed and waved goodbye before she left to go to her own dorm. She did have some statistics homework she was putting off. . .

* * *

A/n: So yeah, trying to weave in the realness of having crushes on someone you don't even know


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

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"She's taking you to a museum because you didn't tell her about your hair . . .?" Paulina laughed as she pulled on her flats, her energy fluttery, which was how Elsa was able to know she was going to spend time with her boyfriend.

"Yes." Elsa gave her best not amused face, but it fell flat.

"Did she tell you at least what type of museum she's taking you to?" Paulina checked herself in the mirror, pushing her hair back but it just flopped forward.

"Nope, she just said museum." Elsa responded, laughing at how her roommate was fussing around. "Going to get some tonight?" Elsa waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and was rewarded with a nod, her phone ringing.

"Go get 'em!" Elsa called out as Paulina left, and she could just shake her head with a laugh at her roommate. She put her backpack down, her watch told her it was two fifty five, so she had enough time to grab her purse and put on another layer of deodorant.

* * *

"I don't know mom, are you sure?" Anna asked her mom for the third time as she pulled up to the curb, and her mother laughed through the phone that was on speaker.

"Yes I'm sure. As you've described her, she'll be thrilled to go to that one." Mom told her, her father's voice calling out in the background.

"Thank you mom—oh she's coming, I have to go!" Anna excited told her mom, this time earning a laugh from both her father and mother.

"Have fun on your date honey!" Mom yelled into the phone as Elsa walked closer to the car.

"It's not—" Anna defended, even though she wished it was, but was cut off when her phone flashed that her mom had hung up. She fumbled to unlock the door just in time for Elsa to open it and slide in.

"Nice car. I'm surprised that the University let you have one." Elsa fastened her seatbelt, and Anna was acutely aware of how her car looked. It was sleek, and she spent the last hour carefully cleaning out all the dirt and crumbs, her eyes flitting to the time on the dash board.

"Yeah, the benefits of having to take a plane to get home. Two weeks to get here by car." Anna smiled at her as she put the address into the maps app.

"Where are we going?" Elsa asked, trying to peer at the screen, and like a bubbling fool Anna turned her phone screen the other way so she wouldn't be able to see it.

"It's a surprise." Anna firmly told her, but she couldn't help her grin.

"Okay then, will it be open when we get there." Elsa asked, sitting back in her chair, and Anna felt like cupid hit her though the chest when Elsa tucked one of her loose strands behind the shell of her ear. Yes, her crush was getting out of hand. For crying out loud this was only her third time _being in the same space as her._

"Yes . . . though it is a bit of a drive." Anna admitted, clipping her phone into the case that stuck to the glass, and she took her time with angling it so Elsa wouldn't be able to see where they were going via the maps.

"That's fine. Do you mind if I look through the radio stations?" Elsa's fingers were already hovering over the dial, and Anna found herself nodding as she pulled away from the curb.

"So how does it feel being so far from home?" Elsa inquired as she flipped through stations, her fickleness at music becoming apparent as she only listening to a few seconds on each station.

"I missed my parents a lot at first, then I found out I missed the small things. I'd walk home and then realize I missed the tree that was at the end of the block where all the kids would play. Or I'd miss walking the streets on the way home. But after I adjusted here it didn't hurt so much, so it's more like a memory of missing." Anna found the words flowing from her mouth, daring to glance at the woman beside her.

"That makes sense. A lot of freshmen report those types of nostalgia, and some reports display that in some it stays until the end of the second year." Elsa paused, her head tilted a bit as she decided that that station would do.

"How far are you away from home?"

"Oh, not too far, just a few towns over." Elsa answered back slowly, her tone unreadable.

"Do you visit your parents a lot?" Anna winced as she asked the question, really she should figure out what questions to ask.

"No." Elsa kept that unreadable tone, her face turned to the window.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Anna softly apologized, her thumb tapping a silent rhythm against the steering wheel.

"No, it's fine. So why did you choose to come to this University when you knew it was so far from home?" Elsa turned the music up a bit, so it was a clearer, but to Anna it was background noise.

"Well it has everything I ever wanted in a school, it just spoke to be on a deep level the second I set foot on campus, and it just got better as I went into my classes. Oh there's some snacks in the back seat if you want any." Anna waved to the seat behind her, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Do you want some gum?" Out of the corner of her eye she was able to see Elsa rummage through the snacks she bought last night, though she will admit she bought too much.

"Sure." Elsa's fingertips brushed against her open palm as she set the gum down, and her stomach did a small summersault.

"So what field are you studying for?" Was she always this inquisitive?

"I want to be a social worker. What are you studying for?" Anna slowly placed the gum in her mouth.

"I'm undecided."

"Oh. Well you have plenty of time." Anna answered lamely, and silence bloomed between them, the radio keeping it from being awkward.

"Why do you want to be my friend so bad?" Elsa broke the silence, and Anna could feel her cornflower blue eyes on her face, her attention unwavering. It made Anna's palm sweat against the steering wheel and her heart pick up its beat. Her mouth dried up a bit and it took her a moment to get her mouth working.

"It just feels right, like we're meant to be friends. Don't you think?" Her voice didn't come out wavering like she thought it would be, and it made her breath come easier.

"I don't believe in that type of things." Elsa quietly replied, her eyes narrowing a bit before letting it go. "But I won't discredit what you feel."

"Thank you. . ." Anna fumbled, not knowing how to respond. How could she not believe in it? In meeting a person and just knowing there was potential in being friends?

The next half hour went back and forth in small talk and silence. When she parked a block away from the art museum she knew that Elsa loved the color grey, that she was making a movie manuscript, and that she couldn't think about her life without being a part of track and field. It made her happy to slowly make her talk, the silence providing answers true.

"It's not far." Anna smiled at Elsa, locking the door and all but dragged Elsa down the block.

"I've never been here." Elsa murmured as they walked up the steps, and Anna found herself holding her breath as they walked in. Would she like it? What if this was a mistake? _Oh, mon Dieu!_

"It's beautiful. . . " Elsa murmured as they walked past golden arches that had baby angels carved into it.

"Ohhoo, over here." Anna gasped, grabbing onto Elsa's wrist and pulling her over to a large painting.

"Here, it's a perspective painting." Elsa laughed, moving Anna back a bit so everything fell into place.

"Do you make that sort of art?" Anna whispered as all the blobs of colors became flowers floating down a river so detailed it made actually look at it. Usually she would glance at paintings and then be done with it, not actually look at it, or maybe it was because Elsa's hands were on her arms and her face was full of beautiful amazement?

"Sometimes, though it never comes out like that. It must have taken them years to acquire the skills to paint this." Elsa continued speaking lowly, and she sadly released her grip, walking over to the next painting.

As time passed Anna found herself looking more at Elsa than the art, which was an accomplishment because she never spent this much time around art. She hung on the comments Elsa would make on the art and at times she found herself making small replies that sounded smart! Yeah! She got this!

. . . or maybe not. Anna's eyebrows were pinched, the left side of her mouth pulled up as she looked at the huge piece before her. Her eyes just couldn't figure out what was happening and because of that she was ready to move on, but Elsa sat herself down at the bench there, her cornflower blue eyes fastened on the painting with an expression she couldn't understand. Anna found herself fidgeting beside her, but couldn't force herself to break the joy on Elsa's face by making her leave.

"Excuse me ladies, it's going to be closing in ten minutes." A security officer told them lazily, and that made Anna look at her phone. It was already seven! They spent hours here looking at art . . . something she never thought she'd be able to say.

"Come on, let's get something to eat before we go home." Elsa murmured to her, already walking away.

"Oh, yeah that's a great idea! What do you want to eat? Though I'm not paying for your pizza because we're friends now." Anna babbled, scrambling after the taller woman.

"Hmm, pizza does sound good." Elsa laughed, opening the door for her.

"Wait, you didn't deny it! So we a _re_ becoming friends!" Anna could help the bounce in her step at the words, or her large grin.

"Don't go screaming it or else I'll take it back, Bisset." Elsa demanded, looking over her shoulder at Anna.

* * *

A/n: Hey guys! Who wants swimming in the next chapter?! Give me your vote on yes or no :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Scholar's Athenaeum

Elsa glared at her history professor, the rubric crinkling underneath her fingertips when it finally got to her row by the window. She imagined is peppered hair falling out, or him breaking a leg, or anything really that could cause pain. But he just continued talking into the small mic on the pulpit, pointing at the slides with a laser pointer.

"-by next class." He finished off, and with that the class was dismissed. Elsa didn't get up, she stared at the crinkled paper with furious cornflower blue eyes, her white arched eyebrows twitching. Yes Paulina told her that it was going to happen, but still she hoped deeply, desperately, that there would be a clause in there. She despised working with people, she was always the one that was going all the work, getting the notes, staying up until the wee hours in the night where morning slowly cusped, and she thought that she escaped group work here.

With a sigh she straightened the paper, but it stayed wrinkled. The anger slowly receded from her shoulders, fine. She would work with another person, but whoever was up there better help her not knock their heads off. She slipped the paper in her yellow binder when Anna bounced up the steps, her bright red hair placed in a bun, one fishedtailed braid looping back. Her brown dangly earrings danced with her steps, and they perfectly matched the heeled boots she wore. Elsa wanted to laugh, but didn't. Everyone wanted to be pretty nowadays, dressed to perfection, why wouldn't Anna be any different?

"Hi Elsa!" Anna enthusiastically bounced before she settled herself on Elsa's desk, her newly painted nails laying close to where Elsa's hand lay. Elsa leaned back a bit, not comfortable having her face so close to Anna's body. Didn't the girl know personal space?

"Hello Bisset," Elsa greeted back, her lips twitching a bit- really the girl's enthusiasm was a bit amusing. "Do you need something?" She asked as she smoothly picked up her lightweight backpack, so different from her high school one where it couldn't contain everything she carried.

"I was wondering since Paulina will work with her boyfriend, and since we are friends now, that we could work on this paper together." Anna quickly closed her glossed lips, her teeth worrying the bottom one a bit. Elsa made a sound, pushing her chair into the desk. Anna scrambled to follow her down the steps, her earrings making a dainty sound that matched her footsteps.

"I-is that a yes?" Anna stumbled over her words, excitement making her Nordic blue eyes sparkle. Elsa pretended to ignore her a moment, but really she was mulling it over in her mind. She wasn't friends with anyone else in this class, not to the lack of trying from the boys. And she wasn't allowed to work on it alone, since the professor would dock her points. . . She guessed Anna wouldn't be too bad, she showed determination in her actions when they went running together, and clever diction at the museum. . .

"Yes, it's a yes." Elsa concluded with a small smile to set Anna at ease, which worked when her red eyebrows stopped trying to meet in the middle with worry. For a moment it looked like the shorter girl was going to jump up and shout in joy, but she contained herself. It made Elsa want to laugh for a moment, and it reaffirmed her private nickname of puppy for her.

"We should probably start on it today, we don't have much time to work on it." Elsa muttered to herself, pondering which library they should go to on campus.

"Yeah, yeah that's for the best. We could go the Scholar's Athenaeum, it has a large portions of history textbooks, and they have a food vendor. The third floor is probably where we should go- I love their bean bag chairs!" Anna chattered and Elsa could feel her gaze on her face.

Elsa nodded, ignoring how her white hair slowly slipped from her messy ponytail as she unlocked her grey bike. It was old, the paint chipping and only one of the brakes worked, but she couldn't bear to part with it and she didn't have enough money to buy a new one. She placed the heavy bike to her right, away from the side Anna was on.

Anna kept up a steady stream of chatter about how one time she fell asleep at her home town library, and her friends decided to place a pile of books on her instead of walking up. "—and they just left me there! I was awoken up by a janitor, and I just about jumped out of my skin as the books crashed around me! I thought I was going to die with embarrassment, really!" Elsa laughed softly as they cut across campus, passing through a small pebbled path with flowers. Soon summer would bloom around them and this semester would be over, the thought filled her with anxiety.

The Scholar's Athenaeum was one of the smaller libraries on campus, but it had beautiful paintings, and of course bean bag chairs. But the things Elsa loved the most about it was the silence, and seeing other students creating things of beauty around her- even if it was just a paper, sketches, or notes. She locked her bike quickly while Anna waited impatiently, her face glowing. Elsa couldn't understand what the red head was so happy about, but she didn't feel like questioning it at the moment.

Anna grabbed her hand swiftly, it was warm and soft in her cold one, and all but dragged her up the steps in her excitement. Elsa shook her head, a smile curving her lips, she had never been friends with someone so energetic before. She pulled her hand out of Anna's before the girl could drag her into the closing door. "Did you have an energy drink or something?" She whispered as they stepped in, the girl was walking towards the elevator.

"No. . . But I did eat a lot of chocolate!" Anna whispered back, mirth crinkling in her Nordic eyes. Elsa couldn't help the eye roll as she too stepped into the elevator.

Soon the duo was settled at a table, on the third floor. Anna snapped up a bean bag chair and settled close to Elsa's normal wooden chair. With a quick game of hand-paper-scissors-shoot it was decided that Elsa would find resources on the internet while Anna pulled from the textbooks and others the library had to offer them. But deciding on a topic proved to be harder than the game, and their argument on the topic took up two pages in their elegant handwriting. No ill feelings bundled in Elsa's chest, if it had been anyone else besides Anna or Paulina if she were here, she would have snapped by now.

Elsa took out her notebook, writing NAPOLEON BONAPARTE AND HIS REGIME in blue ink at the top. She settled into her chair, already engrossed in hunting out everything needed, but Anna fluttered back and forth beside her. It was hard not to be distracted with the red head getting up, plopping a few books down and then leaving again. When she did sit down she changed position like an excited puppy, whispering under her breath that words in the books. But she was diligent in writing down everything in her own note book, so Elsa didn't scold her.

Time slipped from Elsa's typing fingers, but the sound of crunching pulled her out of her focus. She stared incredulously at Anna eating hot Cheetos, small crumbs falling to the table. "You can't eat here!" She whispered and snapped her hand out to take the bag. Anna stared at her empty hand for a second before launching herself at Elsa to grab the bag back.

"I'm hungry!" She protested, her Cheetos fingers reaching by Elsa's head for the crinkly bag, but Elsa used her long arm to keep her away.

"Then go outside and eat. This is a no eating zone." Elsa scolded, her white eyebrows pulling down to give Anna the best do-as-I- say face. It worked when a pout pulled at her glossed lips, her Nordic eyes wide.

"I'll eat it outside if you give it back." She pleaded, cling as if a child. Elsa breathed out her nose, an amused sound.

"No-" Elsa's phone vibrated on the table, enhancing the sound. There wasn't many people around them, and the ones that were, were too far away to hear it. She sighed, placing the bag on the other side of her and picked up the phone.

"Hey! We're going down to spooky rock, want to join us?" Paulina's voice broke through the phone and Elsa bit the inside of her cheek.

"Ohhoo, can I come too?" Anna whispered beside her head, Elsa's white hair pushing into the red heads face, and she gripped the Cheetos bag while Elsa had picked up the phone.

"Is that Bessit?" Paulina asked, her voice echoing.

"Yeah, it is." Elsa conceded, moving so that Anna could comfortably sit beside her to hear the conversation.

"Good! Tell me where you are."

"I'm at the Scholar's Athenaeum. I need to drop by the dorm to grab a bathing suit and towel." Elsa glanced at the work they had. Elsa alone had three notebook pages of facts, and all they really needed to do was articulate the information. . .

"That's fine. . ." Paulina's voice lowered to a whisper. "We're going skinny dipping for the first time, and I would feel better if you were there." Anna gasped softly, her face flushing.

"Fine. But do you at least have towels?" Elsa growled out, shoving her things in her backpack.

"Yeah, I'll be there in fifteen to pick you guys up." Paulina hung up, Elsa's phone flashing then going black.

"Good thing it's already dark outside." Anna whispered as she picked up one of the books in her small arms.

"Yeah," Elsa sighed, pinching her nose. "I don't usually do things like that. . ." She admitted.

"It's fun. I used to do it with a group of friends . . . its better in the dark." Anna shrugged, her face still flushed. Elsa didn't say anything but packed everything up.

A/N: Hey! Long time no update Yes the OOC-ness still lurks, and I'm sorry for those that are disappointed. No there will be nothing sexual between the two in the next chapter- it's too early for that! Hope you enjoyed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Party, party, party!

Anna shifted in her favorite boots, her toes wiggling with the thought of what they were going to do. What she said was true- in her junior year she got together with her group of friends and dared each other to jump into the freezing water. What she didn't tell Elsa was that she only did it because they were drinking, or that she had a crush on a girl . . . whom she lost her virginity to that night. She couldn't help glancing at the taller woman, _would she be disgusted? What will it be like to see—_ she cut that thought off quickly, her cheeks flushing.

"So what kind of car does Paulina have?" Anna asked, trying to break the silence as they stood in front of the library. She peaked up at Elsa through her lashes, which were coated in waterproof mascara thankfully, and found Elsa's bright eyes meeting hers dead on. Her stomach fell to her knees suddenly and she couldn't hold their eye contact long.

"She doesn't, her boyfriend does . . . though now that I think about it, he's too over protective to do something like this." Elsa mused, her lips quirking.

"Maybe he had a change. . . "Anna stumbled to find a way to continue the conversation, but sputtered silent when a loud, beaten down car swiveled to stop at the curb with an ear splitting screech. Paulina's face appeared in the window and opened the door, which Elsa used to slide in.

"Get in!" Someone drunkenly screamed, and with a sudden curdling of her stomach got in. The scent of smoke hit her full force, as well as alcohol. She barely closed the door before the car jerked into motion, Elsa protesting as the lights blurred past.

"What's going on?" Anna pressed closer to Elsa, tugging on the large grey sweatshirt she wore. Elsa's face was pale, her lips pressed close in anger. Anna almost flinched away at the expression, but the harshness didn't stay in her eyes. Elsa pressed closer, her lips close to Anna's ear, which all but sent her up onto cloud nine.

"Paulina was using a code phrase, which I didn't pick up on. We were supposed to get her out of this, not get ourselves into it." Elsa's angrily whispered, her fingers digging into the ratty fabric of the seat.

"Why didn't she just text?" Anna whispered back, fear crawling now at the idea that they were in a stranger's car, some of these packed people clearly drunk. . . _oh mon dieu !_ She could already hear her mother's firm warning of these situations.

"It wasn't her phone, she left it in the dorm." Elsa sighed, glaring at the dark shadows of people when the car made a hard turn, Anna bumbling into Elsa's covered arms. Elsa straightened her, her lips still in a thin line. Anna's heart was pounding in her chest, and she unconsciously gripped tighter to Elsa.

"What are we going to do?" Anna peered over Elsa's shoulder to look at Paulina, her face still drained of color.

"What Paulina should have had the balls to do before it got like this." Elsa punctuated the words with another glare at the driver, the music turning up. The bass jumped against Anna's leg, and she could see the sudden flare of a cigarette being lit.

"And what exactly is that?" Anna asked, but was ignored. Elsa squirmed away from Anna's grip, and elbowed the other people crowded in the backseat until her face was beside the driver's.

"We need to be dropped off, right now!" Elsa shouted, her white hair catching in the traffic lights, tinted red. The driver must've said something back because Elsa was shouting again. Anna couldn't make out what she said. Paulina leaned over the space Elsa was taking up, her brown eyes like an owl's in the dim light.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern adding color to her previously pale demeanor. Anna nodded, worrying her lip.

"How—"Elsa plopped back into her spot, exasperation tinged in the squint of her strong gaze, and the crossing of her arms.

"That drugged out, no good of a fool won't let us out until we get to Spooky Rock. Something about gas or cops, I couldn't tell." Elsa yelled over the music so that both of them could hear her, and Paulina slumped into the seat. Anna closed her eyes against the smoke, the twisting bodies of laughing people, as if it could make this situation better. Her heart didn't calm down, her fingers shook no matter how much pressure she put on them. She couldn't get enough air! There was too much smoke, up into her nose, into her mouth. Panic made her see stars against the back drop of her eyelids. She tried to pull in more air, but it was like breathing through one of those thin brown coffee straws.

"Hey, hey," Elsa's voice was close to her head, and she could feel her cold fingers pressing over her shaking ones. "Open your eyes, it's going to be okay." Elsa nudged her chin, and Anna squinted at her, her face close and full of open concern.

"Good, keep looking at me. Try to take a deeper breath." Anna shakily nodded, her fingers still shaking.

"Can't, I, not enough air!" Anna wheezed, panic pressing closer making her rips tighter, as if to squeeze her completely.

"That's just the panic speaking," Elsa's voice grew softer, her cornflower blue eyes were like the clear sky she saw at home with her parents, over the fields of growing corn. "Breathe with me." She tried to follow the calming intake of air with Elsa, and slowly the feeling of breathing through a straw expanded slowly. The stars disappeared from her vision, and her rips eased in their strangulation.

"Are you feeling a bit better?" Elsa squeezed her fingers gently, her face still close as the car jerked them around, but the music seemed to be in the background, even though she could still feel the bass pounding against her leg.

"A bit. Thank you." Anna couldn't bear to look much longer into her eyes, and instead looked down at the contrast of Elsa's pale fingers wrapped around her tanner ones. Elsa gave another gentle half squeeze before she dropped Anna's fingers, but her fingers felt tingly and warm, which made the air of them freezing. As if the air ached with her.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Elsa whispered before she pulled away, and it made Anna's heart sputter again, as if she was telling her it was okay to feel this way. Towards her. But she knew in reality she was talking about her panic attack . . . but she kept onto the day dream a bit longer.

The trio stayed close to each other, so that when the beaten down car finally stopped, Anna was able to shove open the door as quickly as she could. The spring turning to summer air was a welcome relief from the smoky feeling of the car. Her legs were weak as she walked away from the car, Elsa and Paulina close on her heels.

Spooky Rock blinked with festive lights which reflected on the lake. People were out on blankets, passing joints around. Others were singing, and a guy played a guitar on what the place was named after- the large vaguely unsettling shaped rock that loomed over the lake. Women and men played around him, and at points they threw petals in the air.

"Come on, we have to find a way back to campus." Elsa grumbled, glaring at the festivities around them.

"Why don't we wait until Paulina's boyfriend," Anna paused, her mind pulling a blank on Paulina's boyfriend's name.

"—Manuel." Paulina supplied, her nose scrunching up in worry.

"-Until Manuel gets off of work and then can pick us up?" Anna looked at Elsa, who had her arms crossed.

"That will be two hours at least. The police will be here long before that." Elsa shot back, her glare turning on Paulina.

"We both know they won't, Yulli is the one throwing this." Paulina stretched her arms up, worry still on her features. "But it's a good idea, it'll take too long to walk back to campus, let alone dangerous."

". . . Fine." Elsa ground out, her arms tightening around her waist more. So Anna took the lead, weaving them past couples that were either making out on blankets, or passing joints around. She took them close enough by the water so that they could dip their feet in, but far enough from the other college students that were partying. Music played from different places, and from where Anna led them, they could see the various games that were being played.

Anna settled down on the rock outcropping so that dirt wouldn't smudge on her jeans, really she needed to do laundry, and started to unzip her boots. Elsa didn't even sit down, she surveyed everything through a glare, her hands on her hips.

"I'm going to find us something safe to eat." Elsa stated and left before Anna could ask if she wanted her to go with. Paulina settled down next to her, her face still concerned.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, pulling off her socks so she could dip her nude colored toes into the cold water. Paulina was silent for a moment, swishing her toes back and forth.

"I really screwed up today." Paulina admitted, toying with Elsa's backpack.

"Well I have enough charge for you to call Manuel to pick us up, and no one got hurt. . ." Anna tried to find the good part in the whole dangerous ride and the drugs that occurred around them.

"That's true." Paulina put the backpack down between them, leaning back on her palms. Anna leaned closer to the water, pulling her one leg to tuck underneath her thigh. The cold water was nice against her foot as she slowly moved it in the water and it calmed her nerves. She couldn't help glancing around, avoiding the eye contact of some of her peers that she shared a class or two with.

"So. . . " Anna awkwardly spoke into the silence between them, not knowing what to say. "Why does Elsa hate this place so much, besides the obvious?"

Paulina shrugged, looking at her sideways. "Let's just say her family is all too familiar with these drugs and more."

"Oh. Well. . . I don't know what to say." Anna admitted as she worried her lip, her favorite lip gloss had slowly faded away by now, and the strawberry flavor wasn't even left over.

"Just don't tell her I said anything. I expect you to be staying around." Paulina smiled slyly at her, and the air was sucked out of her lungs.

"I don't know what you mean." Anna had to stop herself from stuttering, her face flushing as she toyed with her boot zipper. Paulina muffled her laughter and sprayed the lake water onto her. Anna was splashing water back at Paulina when Elsa came back, three of those Styrofoam containers in her arms.

"Ohh! What did you get?" Anna scrambled up, taking the top one off. Roasted chicken was laid on top of yellow rice and chick peas.

"That's for Paulina." Elsa nodded her head towards Paulina, who took it.

"Just because I'm part Hispanic doesn't mean I'll always get this." Paulina protested as she balanced the food on her knee. Anna took the next one off, but the only difference was that it was roasted pork instead, fat clinging to the meat temptingly so.

Small chatter was made between them, mostly about class work and what they should add to the work out. Elsa's shoulders slowly relaxed, and Anna's heart fluttered when a beaming smile came in response to what Anna said, she couldn't even remember if it was a joke or anything. But as the three of them sat there Anna realized that she _did_ want to stick around and find out everything about the woman beside her. Yes her whole attention started silly with wanting to know who dyed Elsa's hair . . . but now she wanted to know everything.

A/N:

Ha! Lies! But this revision was a lot happier than my original one. Hope you guys enjoy, and thank you _sedryn_ for your welcoming back and sharing this crack try at love Please tell me what you think, as I go drown in my IB HL homework


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven: You could come with me

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Elsa sighed, pushing her wet hair back, water still dripping from her white locks. Her muscles ached, her calves protested and her arms felt weak from the training in track practice today. But that didn't stop the feeling that she had to run, to get away. The heat sucked and buzzed at her skin, as if to mirror her anxiety. Her dorm seemed to mock her, the white walls closing. She took a deep breath to stave off her anxiety and paranoia, the water slowly dripping over her shoulder.

She crossed over to her desk, which was a complete mess of her art work, homework and her unfinished manuscript. She ignored it, stepping onto the rolling seat which swayed underneath her weight. She reached up to her orange shoe box, the stack of papers wobbling as much as the seat underneath her feet. She took it off the shelf and plopped it down on her bed, the covers made neatly.

Elsa sloughed off most of the papers until she was at the bottom of the box where glossy photos gleamed in the sunlight that waved into her dorm room. She couldn't help taking out the glossy photos, her chest squeezing at the sight. The top photo was a picture of a younger version of Elsa with her Papa, a big bulk of a man with a faraway look. She quickly shuffled past that one, past the one of her dad smoking with a bone skinny woman- her white hair stringy falling across her face. She pasted that photo too until she came across a lone photo. It was the woman from before, except she had a healthy weight, her white hair healthy, and her teeth bright and straight. Elsa took a deep breath and turned that photo over, the address of the woman scrawled in a purple pen. _I could go there_ , she pressed her finger over the ink frowning.

A loud knock jump started Elsa's heart which went rapid in her chest. It vibrated in her ears, threatening the wall of her ribcage. She exhaled deeply, her fingers shaking as she quickly shoved everything back into the orange shoe box.

"I'll be right over!" Elsa called out, knowing it had to be Anna. Paulina was out scouting an apartment with her boyfriend, and so it had to be Anna. Their paper was almost done, just needing some revising which was why Anna was supposed to come over. . . though she was a half hour early. The box threatened to titter off the shelf but she left it there, the chair swiveling as she rushed over to the door.

"Hi!" Anna gleamed up at her, her bright blue eyes crinkling up with happiness. She swung up a plastic bag, her pink nail polished chipped. "I brought snacks and movies, so that we can relax when the paper's done, unless you want to do anything else, you know. . . "Anna babbled, her face becoming flushed. Elsa couldn't help the twitch of her lips, her panic slowly receding. It was good to have Anna as a friend, she mused, and she was distracting.

"A movie is fine." Elsa opened the door wider, her arm protesting a bit. Anna fluttered into the room, swinging the bag onto the bed before plopping down onto it as well. Elsa closed the door before she settled into the chair, shaking her head a bit as she opened her laptop.

"Where's Paulina?" Anna pulled out a box of nerds, her chin resting on Elsa's pillow, her arms tucked under it.

"She's searching for an apartment with Manuel, since their graduating in a few months." Elsa replied, pushing her hair back again when it got in her face.

"I didn't realize she was a senior," Anna admitted, the nerds crunching softly between her teeth. Elsa held out her hand, and soon she had a handful of her own. "Did she get a job already?"

"Yeah," Elsa popped some of the nerds in her mouth as their paper looked back at her. "She's got a position at the hospital as a therapist." Her eyes scanned their paper, but she couldn't focus on the words. Her mind was elsewhere, wondering what she was going to do with herself at the end of the semester, where she was going to live, what job she'd have to get.

"Here, let me edit." Anna squirmed closer, reaching for the laptop with her slightly color stained fingers. But Elsa gave in, turning it towards her. She pulled her feet up underneath herself, watching as Anna's eyes scanned the screen with intensity she would have missed. It was strange to admit to herself that her first judgement of Anna was wrong, but now she had to, considering they were friends and all.

"So what are you going to do?" Elsa ground out, her eyes fluttering to the orange shoe box.

"I'm going to go with my parent's—they own this awesome beach house. It'll be good to be with them, I miss them a lot you know." Anna glanced up from the screen, watching Elsa with the same intensity she gave the paper. "What about you? Are you going to stay with your parents?""

". . . "Elsa looked away from Anna's questioning Nordic blue gaze to look out the window, the leaves swaying in the warming breeze. "No." The silence grew between them, only broken up by the crunching of candy between Anna's teeth.

"You know . . . you can come with me. You don't have to, but it'll be fun! My parent's really want to meet you, since you're my best friend. You'd have your own room, and we could go swimming together at the beach! And the ice cream! There's shaved ice as well, if you're into that sort of thing." Anna babbled, her face slowly becoming pink. She was rolling one of the nerds between her fingers, which were now becoming stained blue as she gazed up at Elsa, her eyes wide and pleading.

Elsa let the silence fester a bit, she didn't really need to contemplate that option. Seriously, who would turn down an opportunity to go to a beach with their friend?! Finally when it looked like Anna was about to become a red beet into her white pillow, Elsa leaned over and plucked the nerd from Anna's worrying fingers.

"Of course I will!" Elsa laughed before she crunched the nerd. "I can't believe you thought I wouldn't." She shook her head, giggle more. Anna muttered, pouting, her gaze back on their history paper. Silence settled between them again, broken up by the clicking of computer keys. With a whoosh of air Anna passed the laptop over.

"I think it's done."

"I'll glance over it then print it before class then." Elsa's eyes were already scanning the text, but Anna was right—it was done. Anna bounced lightly on the bed, excitement gleaming in her eyes and the flash of her mouth.

"OKAY!" Anna busted out, pulling a stack of movies on Elsa's cluttered desk causing a few papers to fall. "These are all the movies I've brought over, some are new like The Accountant and Lion, but then we have the Little Mermaid. . . "Anna continued babbling as Elsa turned over the top movie. There was a splatter of Disney classics like the Little Mermaid and Snow White, but then there was the spiderman movies, even one in Japanese that translated loosely about fireflies. But her gaze was snagged on Lion, intrigued with it being partly in Hindu.

"This one will do." The words were barely out of her mouth before Anna jumped off the bed, pulling the curtains down. They plugged the laptop in, turning it to face the bed. It was a tight fit on Elsa's small bed, but it was comforting. The blanket tangled around their legs, the snacks spread in front of the mountain of pillows- two of them from Anna's dorm. Anna all but quivered beside her as the screen lit up the area around them.

At various points of the movie Anna curled into Elsa, the two of them crying as Saroo cried out. By the ending scene Elsa found Anna all but underneath her own body, her red hair tickling her chin, but she didn't complain, Paulina all but did the same thing when they watched movies together on Elsa's bed as well.

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A/N: Thank you for all of the follows and favorites!

Trying to keep this from moving too fast, keeping Elsa friendly, but let's see what happens at the beach in a few chapters! If her family doesn't find her first dun DUN da!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight: Charged air

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Anna couldn't pay attention, her weight shifting back and forth in her running shoes, the coach kept talking, his voice booming. Everyone was crowded around, their bodies pushing closer to the head coach, who was a midget among them. Elsa was beside her, her pale fingers curling into her hips, the dry fit green and white fabric giving in a bit with the pressure. Her eyes were trained on the coach, her white eyebrows turning forward with intent . . . it was hard keeping her eyes off of Elsa, being aware how close her elbow was to Anna's own arm. She took a deeper breath, holding it in her chest for a minute, turning her distracted Nordic blue eyes to the head coach, whose arms were up like he was preaching.

". . . Our last victory for the season! Bring it in!" The head coach, Jorden, all but screamed, his bright white teeth gleaming against the rest of him. Everyone put their fist in, Anna's under Elsa's, Paulina's over Elsa's. People all but trembled, their muscles bunched and tensed, excitement rippling underneath vying muscles in their sweats.

"PANTHERS!" Anna joined in with everyone else, her heart beat jump starting with the realization of the situation, her tummy tightening with excitement and disappointment. This was it. The season would be over. Her teammates faces gleamed, the sweat from the warm up twinkling with the harsh spring becoming summer heat. Her teammates started to scatter for their events, and some for the group prayer but Anna lunged forward, wrapping her fingers around Elsa's wrist, hyperaware of the tendon pushing against her palm.

"Good luck." Anna looked up at Elsa, her lips stretching wide when Elsa's determined and yet tired cornflower blue eyes met hers.

"Throw far, Anna." Elsa turned her hand around and gave her a comforting squeeze, before jogging to join the sprinters.

"Come on, Anna." Paulina called out, holding out the yellow and blue javelin to her. The metal was comforting as she slid her fingers over it, caressing the twine as anticipation pounded throughout her body.

"How does it feel? Since it'll be your last meet?" Anna asked, keeping pace with Paulina to the tar runway. This meet was at their university, the familiar grounds giving Anna more confidence as she stuck the javelin into the dirt as they walked.It was always easier to hold her shoulders back, her chin higher, when it was a home meet knowing every trick and nick of the runway.

"Honestly, surreal. I don't want all of this to end . . . but I hope that later I can join one of those leagues—the ones our coaches are a part of." Paulina held her javelin closer to her body, fingering the number 13 written in sharpie, Pauline's lucky javelin. "How about you? You'll have to come back early from vacation to train."

Anna jabbed the javelin deep into the dirt which gave way like butter, the grass parting like water. "I feel . . . excited. I'll miss all of this over the vacation, but like you said I'll have to come back early anyway." Anna shrugged, tightening her ponytail to keep her red hair out of her face, which was slowly fizzing around her. She didn't have time this morning to do her usual braids for the meet, but the extra rest helped.

Her teammates took turns running the runway, placing their customized sticks in the ground where they would throw. Anna's own wasn't that far, her run short because she mostly focused on the cross overs, her stick bright pink with a smiley face, her old friend's names scrawled all over it in various colored sharpies. The air was buzzing like bees, sweat collecting underneath her white and green windbreaker, the hood sloshing around Anna's ears like crashing waves. Everything was going too quick, the official going through the rules. The tape stretching out across the field, crossing the white lines. People standing to the sides, their jobs solely on marking the javelin, their gaze intent.

The other team was staring them down, their eyes sharp like needles. Their poses confident, as if they were going to spear them. As if they were going to win. Her heart pounded against the twine, her javelin shoes with their spikes laced tight. The first woman went up, the sun shining oppressively down. Her knees were high, sharp, the spikes pushing her forward, the javelin sailing gracefully through the sky, the tail wiggling, as if it was going to open heaven's door itself.

Paulina's fingers dug sharply into Anna's shoulders, pressing down on the windbreaker, causing her to jump. Her light brown eyes bore into Anna's, her freckles standing out with slight sunburn. "Breathe." She commanded. "Don't let them psych you out, Anna." Anna's head bobbed, her hair scratching against the hood like static, her fingers still tight on her javelin. She was right, that's exactly what they wanted from her. The dry air pushed out on her ribs and with it a sense of calmness. Yes, this was the last meet of the season, and yes Anna had been distracted these last few practices . . . but her body knew what to do! She lifted her own chin, confidence blooming like a desert flower in her chest, her lips twisting with gratitude.

Anna occupied herself by picking as people threw, and when it was her time she scurried to shed her sweats. Everything stilled once she stepped on the runway, the spikes sinking into the tar. It was as if the world was holding its breath, the breeze cool against her flesh as she rose the javelin to her shoulder, her body naturally moving forward. The world blurred, her eyes trained on a small wisp of a cloud, and then everything rushed back as her own blue and yellow javelin shot forward. Her heart rushed in her ears, deep in her chest, energy buzzed in her skin, making her feel alive. Later she contemplated if that was how the warriors felt right after they speared their prey with their spears. She was badass as she stepped off the tar, as if she was an amazon warrior, her spikes sinking into the yielding grass, her shoulder's back and chin held high.

The rest of javelin flew past Anna, her PR gleaming in her chest as they carried their implements to the shotput circle, which was on the other side of the field with the discus circle. Anna slowly passed the track, her gaze glued on Elsa's tall form jumping in the air, her knees snapping. The sight filled her with a sense of pride and wonder as she watched Elsa sink into the starting blocks, her eyes far way, her pale fingers barely touching the track. Elsa's white hair swung around her in two long cornrows as if she too, was a warrior about to go into battle. Training on Saturdays with Elsa didn't prepared Anna to actually see her run, and when the official's air bullet broke the tense air it was like watching a Goddess speed past, her pale arms pumping, her legs a blur as she ate the track, her beautiful white hair whooshing after her. The very sight had Anna's pulse pounding with pride and attraction, her eyes locked on Elsa's winning figure.

"Anna, come on!" Paulina called out, already half way to the shot put circle with impatience, and Anna had to rush to meet up with her after of course she caught the glimpse of Elsa winning the first heat, her slim fingers open as if to high-five the very sky once the baton passed to the other runner.

Frustratingly every time that Elsa was posted to run, Anna was in the circle, her attention focused completely on just her, the circle and the feel of the mental shotput against her jaw—or the discus curled in her fingertips.

The sky grew dark before the throwers were done, the rest of the team waiting for them to finish. Anna didn't pay attention to the congregation of teammates pooling around the throwing area, her gaze and attention up high in the sky, the discus smooth against her palm, until as she was turning she caught a flash of white. It was only after her discus cut through the air that the realization made her skin grow scarlet and tingly. Elsa's voice called out in the mass of cheers as she jogged to retrieve her discus, and again this strange pride swirled in her chest.

"Great throw Anna!" Elsa leaned against the fence, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes making them look like cornflower blue stars gleaming. Her white hair was mussed from the running and was sticking the side of her jaw, sunburn peeled on her shoulders, which were curling towards the fence like a lazy cat. Anna could hardly feel her footfalls, her chest light and airy. The whole world was the soft color of sun down, making everything seem like a dream with its soft yellows, pinks and deep blues, the air pressing with heat, the breeze tickling her flushed skin. The cold bite of the metal fence brought some solidly to Anna, and she curled her fingers deeper into the thin metal to make sure this moment wasn't a dream, her discus thudding near her feet and clanging against the fence.

"Yeah, it was my last throw." Anna's voice came out breathless, hanging in the summer breeze that curled around them. The soft glow of lightening bugs couldn't even distract her eyes from Elsa right before her, pride about Anna's throw in her eyes! Elsa was proud _of her_! For her!

"It was amazing, you were so fluid. I didn't know you had it in you." Elsa admitted, leaning closer to the fence to rest her body.

"Me either, I've never thrown that far before, it, it must have been all those extra practices with you." Anna admitted, focusing on the sight of her slightly browned fingertips paling with pressure, afraid that this sudden strong surge of feelings would flint across her face. Mama always said she was like an open book. She would have to talk to Mama about this, this strong crush that grew the more time she spent with Elsa—learning about her, spending time with her, her being _proud_ of her. She sucked in a deep breath to steady herself.

"Paulina did run you to the ground with those drills!" Elsa laughed, her eyes becoming crescent moons, the left side of her mouth coming back further than the right. It happened every time she laughed. Her laugher twinkled in the air, the lightening bugs swirling dreamily around them.

"Let's go hear if we won or not." Elsa suddenly said, pulling away from the fence, expressions moving across her face too quickly for her to read. One moment she was gleaming, beaming, the next her cheeks were paling under the sunburn, her eyes losing their sparkle, becoming hard and distant.

"I have to put these away first." The words were barely out of Anna's mouth before Elsa was moving away more, her eyes distractingly regarding people around them.

"Okay, I'll meet you across the field then." Elsa turned, jogging away from her before she could answer back. Confusion and hurt broke the dreaming feeling in her chest. The breeze was cold against her flesh and the sky was dark blue, only very little lightening bugs breaking the darkness. Anna shivered, goosebumps breaking across her bare flesh as she flipped her discus in her fingers, the blood rushing back into them. Already her teammates were putting their implements away, and the discus would be the only one she needed to put away.

Anna's skin crawled as she neared the equipment area, making her hair rise in defense, her heart telling her to run. Anna shook her head sharply, her neck popping the synovial fluid with how much force she put into it. Her red hair, which was frizzing more, snapped painfully against her sensitive face as if calling her foolish, too.

She walked next to her teammates, who were smiling at each other and laughing, others wiping a few tears, but it was like walking next to a film. None of them affect her, or talked to her. She was alone, even though she was surrounded when she placed her discus on the growing pile. The feeling of being watched followed her as she crossed the track, and she missed dark eyes tracking her every movement.

* * *

A/N: Thank you _Schurke_ for your honest review! I won't lie I had to read it twice to make sure I read it right, and you tickled me pink. Thank you, I am trying to make it feel realistic, and those embarrassing moments and awkwardness just makes it more.

Thank you for blowing up the views, and please don't be afraid to tell me what you think, it makes writing this so much more enjoyable


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Elsa's skin tightened as the team bustled around them, victory gleaming in the air around them. Her feet couldn't be still, her blood rushing like ice from the quick glimpse of a familiar face, a features that would always hover throughout her horrified memories. The air seemed to collapse around her, tightening her chest, her hands becoming slick and clammy, opening and closing. A hesitant hand wrapped around hers, soft and slender, stilling her compulsive movements.

"Are you okay?" Anna paused as she looked up, her blue eyes darkening at the edges as they searched deep into Elsa's, which made her muscles relax a bit at the comfort she found in the other girl's. Anna wouldn't hurt her. But Anna could be hurt . . . the thought tightened her already closed throat, fear curling like smoke in her stomach. Elsa gently pulled her hand out of her best friend's, her chest panging when the hurt splashed across Anna's face, scrunching up her nose and pulling her lips down, lightening- bright and clear.

"I have to go." Elsa ground out through quivering teeth, her hands clenching again without Anna to hold them, before she fled from Anna, from her team mates packed together and celebrating, her skittish eyes scanning the people around her. Shadows seemed to jump from everywhere, long and sharp and threatening. Her heart kept up a frantic pace of war drum, throbbing in her head, ears, and tight in her chest. Silence fell, her thudding footsteps breaking it as the dorm hall opened up, her fingers shaking.

Her key wobbled in front of the lock, her hair rising up as her door opened up slowly from the pressure of her key trying to go in. The room was dark and silent but not empty, dark eyes staring back at her by the window, muscles bulking from the moonlight pouring in, as if it was a parody of a vampire movie. All she could hear was her blood rush, lub-dub lub-dum, da ,da, her breath catching, harsh. Frantic against her teeth. She stepped in. He lounged against the windowsill. The door closed. The scattered papers fluttered.

"There's security here." Elsa threatened through her quivering teeth, forcing her freezing muscles to inch to the edge of her mattress. Each step was like stone, heavy and loud in the hushed air. She could hear him breathe over her pounding heart, his chest rising and falling calmly. As if he belonged.

"They won't be here tonight." He answered lazily, his black gaze like a hot stone against her, ruffling and painful. The very sight filled her with that panic, and yet remembrance of how they used to be: how they'd curl in a laugh, become lidded and hooded looking down at her body, the possessiveness. "I think it's time for you to come home, babe." He slowly stood up, his mouth slashing open, his teeth bright making her stomach flip.

"Get out. We're done." Elsa was able ground out, her voice threatening to wobble as she curled her fingers around the edge of her mattress slowly, as if she was in front of a predator. A predator that has already taken chunks of her. Her fingers fumbled in between the space of her mattress and box spring, and curled around the cold and slim metal, her vision becoming spotted.

"You don't decide that." His tone grew tight, his knuckles becoming white in the dim light. Elsa flinched back all but dropping the hidden switch knife, knowing how painful those knuckles could be. "Babe, love," his tone changed like flipping a switch, melting like chocolate that would make her stomach turn to puddles. Before. "I've missed you. I let you have your fun, playing at college but now it's time for you to come home."

"Don't come any closer!" Elsa threatened as he glided forward like a lion, his gaze slick, hooded in a hunt. The metal was cold against her hand, giving her strength as she took it out of the mattress, the metal glinting in the moonlight. He laughed, the skewed kind that rumbled in his chest with madness. The kind she used to crave, but now haunted her dreams.

"Love, stop it. You know I love you," he stepped closer, the metal glinting against his chest, wavering like a leaf except with a sharp edge, his fingers wrapping around the pocketknife. Blood bubbled around his hand, falling down his wrist like tears. "I'm the only one that killed for you. But you never came to the funeral, babe why didn't you come?" His nose flared, his finger's tightening on the knife, his minty breath soft around them.

"Leave me alone." Elsa whispered, attempting to meet his gaze as she leaned forward, the knife went further in his meaty hands with her body weight.

"You can't get away from me." He whispered back, his teeth gleaming as he released the knife slowly, the blood bubbling silently. He didn't turn his back on her as he walked over to the window, the blood dripping into her papers and glossy photos, and smeared against the windowpane as it glided open. Then he was gone.

Elsa clenched the knife closer to herself, her muscles trembling as she watched the space Tommy Barten used to be, the air still crinkling with his unpredictability. She could hardly breathe, her vision still spotted with the darkness, but the panic rushing in her blood gave her the energy to close the window. She took a few heaping breaths that were almost sobs as she leaned against the window, trying to loosen her chest.

Once her vision wasn't so spotted she rushed to clean the blood, her movements determined as she slowly started to place a block against what just happened. She shoved the papers into her orange box, ignoring the glossy photos, and was placing them back onto her desk when the door opened.

"Elsa, it's so dark in here." Paulina complained as she stepped into the room, flipping the head light on. Elsa couldn't help her nervous glance over the areas were the blood used to be, but she was good at cleaning. Paulina set down her water bottle, her mind elsewhere. They didn't talk as Paulina gathered her towel, leaving Elsa alone in the now too bright room.

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry for such a short chapter! But guess who is about to be finished with all of their HL IB exams?! YES ME. Guess who will be getting their own laptop soon? YES ME. And all of that means that updates will soon become more frequent as I procrastinate on my writing portfolio and this I believe essay. Since no one commented on chapter eight, I'll just say thank you for reading this!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter ten**

Anna tapped on her steering wheel, nerves humming in her stomach and skin. All her things were packed in the back, all her underwear and bras and bathing suits, her mind attempting to focus on what she could miss from packing instead of her. Or more like the lack of her.

Deodorant. Sunscreen. It was ten thirteen already. . . If she didn't show up soon Anna would have to go without her. Her tapping increased as her thoughts raced about the last two weeks. Elsa wasn't the same since the last meet, but Anna couldn't put her finger on it. She still talked to her, yet her eyes were so far away or flint around the room, and the distance made Anna's stomach tighten and sink. She didn't even know if Elsa was still coming with her. . .

It was ten twenty. Anna closed her eyes as tears bundled in her eyes and she had to tell herself that it was okay. Everything would be okay. . . She put the car in reverse with her chest becoming a hot volcano, tight and hurtful, her face flushing warm with her hurt.

THUD! Anna jerked her head back around, her neck joints popping like bb bullets as her watery eyes locked on a hand pounding on the window. She quickly blinked her tears away as she rolled the windows down.

"Hey," Elsa's face was flushed, her mouth open and her beautiful white hair rumbled around her face, softening the hardening lava in Anna's stomach. "I said I'd come." She softly said, her bright blue eyes not so distant anymore, the edges not dark like a fresh bruise but instead rolling like an ocean on the brightest morning.

"Then get in." Anna's voice wavered, butterflies breaking from the hardened lava and was sweet like the pinkest cotton candy. She bit the inside of her cheek as Elsa threw her suitcase in the back and slid in quickly, locking the doors before Anna could put the car in drive.

"So how long is the plane ride?" Elsa grinned, her fingers gently moving the radio dial.

"About three and a half hours." Anna admitted as she glued her eyes on the road, trying to not think of Else's slim and pale fingers changing the radio stations like she was touching something fragile like glass. It made her heart leap, pushing down her sudden sexual thoughts. Elsa was her friend, and clearly something had been bothering her for these few weeks. . .

"Ugh, what am I going to do that whole time?" Elsa complained lightly and almost playfully, which was such a contrast to her somber tones lately, making Anna's heart flutter with hope.

"Play on your phone? Make me look beautiful in selfies?" Anna joked back as the bass hummed in the air, her long earring tickling her neck as she took a turn.

"I threw my phone away about a week ago." Elsa spoke after a pause, letting Beyonce sing 11 without interruption, which was hard for Anna, words pressing like bees against the back of her teeth with her chatterbox nature.

"Oh." Anna peered at her bestfriend/crush, the best she could considering she was driving on the freeway. Else's eyes had bags big enough to hide a national treasure but other than that Anna couldn't pick up on a physical sign.

"Well that explains it," Anna waved her hand, her nude colored nails catching the yellow light she drove though. "I was concerned, you know, after all those missed calls and texts." All 67 of those calls and texts Anna sent her in just two days. . . She lost count after that. . . Her cheeks burned a bit.

The radio bounced in between them, smothering the feeling swirling between them, Anna lost in her own thoughts and she snuck glances at Elsa. As they came closer to the airport Anna's phone rang through the Bluetooth on her radio, and she motioned for Elsa to answer and put it on speaker.

"Anna, love! I was thinking that by the time you'll get here with your gi--" Anna's mum's voice came loudly from the speakers and panic tugged through her veins.

"MUM I'M ON SPEAKER!" Aka, please please don't call Elsa my girlfriend.

"Oh! Well hello Elsa dear, it's so good to finally talk to you." Anna's mum paused for barely a second, as if nothing happened.

"Hello. . ." Elsa rose an eyebrow at Anna, which she quickly looked away from.

"So as I was saying dear, you'll be here for dinner, so I was thinking about making pizza, a pineapple salad and then ice cream floats for dessert. Sound good love--"

"-- is that Anna on the phone?" Papa's voice blared through the speaker, as if he was trying to take the phone.

"Hey, we got to go, we have a plane to catch!" Anna yelled and frantically hit the end button- her dad wasn't as subtle as mum.

Elsa laughed softly, her fingers covering her mouth, and the sound make Anna melt a bit with relief and sweetness. "Your parents sound lovely, I can't wait to meet them."

"You'll love them, they're gonna treat you like you're their own daughter." Anna answered without a thought, because of course they would. They already made team Elsan tee shirts and were bugging her to date already, or worse asking when they were going to get married.

"Really. . ." Elsa replied, her voice fading delicately. Anna's shoulders drooped a bit as she parked in the rental spot and turned to look at the taller girl.

"Elsa," Anna took a deep breath as she looked into her dark and haunted eyes, Anna's tanned fingers grapping onto Elsa's cold ones, rubbing her thumb in a circle. "I want you to know that I care about you, you're my best friend. . . And I know that you are going through a hard time right now. I'm here for you. I'll listen, I promise." Else's haunted and tired eyes slid away from her gaze and became a bit distant as tears pooled there, her mouth pulled in on itself as her bottom lip trembled.

"Oh Anna, I know you're here for me, it's just. . .I don't want you to get hurt." Else's strong shoulders shook a bit, and broke a small part of Anna's heart. She pulled the taller girl into herself and wrapped her small arms around Else's shaking shoulders. She pressed one of her hands into a comforting circle on her quaking back as Else's face rested in the crook of her neck, her messy white hair tickling Anna's nose.

"I won't get hurt! I'll be here for you always, you could tell me that you killed someone and I'd still love you." Anna's voice caught a second, but it was too late. Elsa wouldn't know what love she meant, but Anna did. And that was okay. Elsa gave a soft hiccuping laugh and drew back a bit until they could see eye to eye.

"I've never killed anybody. . . But my ex boyfriend killed my father and made it look like an overdose and now he's after me and I'm so scared. He-he's insane Anna and I can't go to the police." Elsa gushed, her words coming out faster than bullets leaving Anna in the deep end of a never ending ocean, waves and riptides pulling at her ankles.

"Okay," Anna took a deep breath and nodded her head a bit. "Okay. Okay, why can't you go to the police?" Anna rubbed Else's trembling and clammy hands as she mulled through the information.

"Because his uncle is the head of justice and what ever I would say would go unheard." Elsa looked down at their jointed hands, her face hidden.

"Mon Dieu. . ." Anna whispered under her breath as she blinked at her unraveling friend before she pulled herself together. "Its going to be okay, we're going hundreds of miles away where he can't reach you where we will figure this out. He can't know where you're going, he won't find you. You'll be safe, okay." Anna peered deep into Else's eyes that she tried to hide, and could see the moment where the storm settled in them, the tears slowly stopping. Anna wiped them away from Else's flushed cheeks without a thought, the skin smooth against her palm.

"Its going to be okay now." Anna told her with fake confidence until Elsa nodded her head, her hair wavering against her face like angel hairs.

They both got out of the car, a comfortable silence between them. Anna reached out her hand after she paid for her rental car, her fingers curling around Elsa's long ones, and in that moment for her it felt like they were one.

She let Elsa nap against her shoulder as they checked in, the plane was not coming in for two hours, which left her there forever. She played with Elsa's white hair as her mind rushed through what she said. . . And the fire in her heart that told her she would do anything to keep her safe.

A/N: tried to keep this one lighter in the shadow of that last one. Thanks for those still reading and your patience! I just graduated so I should *crosses fingers* update more when I'm not at the beach or at college orientation.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Elsa gladly stretched, her stiff joints popping as the descending sun still blazed against her needy skin. The hours had dragged on forever, even though she was asleep for most of them—or more like emotionally and physically collapsed. . . Elsa quickly glanced over at Anna, once again worrying that she was going to start freaking out from everything she admitted hours and hours ago, but Anna's face was bright as she tilted her face towards the sun and her freckles popped. The innocence on her best friend's face almost convinced her that she never opened her mouth about Tom. . . her chest tightened with the thought of him, her fingers twitching as she scanned the crowded airport, the milling people so absorbed in their own world, their phones glued to their ears.

"My mom and dad should be here soon, I should probably. . . " Anna trailed off as her phone lit up, her parents already calling. She gave Elsa a quick smile and turned to answer it. Truthfully. . . everything felt so strange now for Elsa, like a huge rock stuck on her shoulders was split in half. Her gaze stilled snapped between bouts of movement, her heart tittering with faint panic with the off-chance that _he_ could be here, but he couldn't be. She threw her phone away last week, and left fake trails like her dad taught her before she fled into the comfort of her best friend. She was going to be safe for a bit at least she hoped, which would give her the chance to figure something out, but to also enjoy this vacation. Just the feel of the ocean breeze lifted her spirits.

Elsa's fingers were gently squeezed, and she was snapped out of her thoughts as she watched Anna's mouth move. "—right around the corner."

". . . What did you say their names were again?" Elsa smiled sheepishly at Anna, fighting the urge to take her hand out of Anna's grip. It was comforting those hours being held, but now she was 'fine' and didn't want Anna's parents to see them holding hands for some reason. They were best friends, but they weren't fifth graders anymore.

"Oh! I never actually tooold you their names. . . haha," Anna's cheeks reddened as she looked away from Elsa. "Martha is my mom and my dad is Henry. . . not the most unique names, kind of the trend in the family, be named the blandest thing, though my mom is definitely not throwing around as much salt as Martha Stuart, though she is a really good cook, although dad is much better at making somethings." Anna babbled a mile a minute as a sleek car slid in front of them.

"Anna dear, it's been too long!" A red headed woman came all but running out of the sleekest car Elsa had ever seen, but that wasn't too hard considering what side of the neighborhood she used to live on. The woman wrapped her slim arms around Anna and had to bend down to place her chin on her daughter's head. . . and she wasn't even wearing heels.

"And you must be Elsa!" The woman, Martha, turned towards her and before Elsa knew it she was wrapped in the most motherly hug she's had in a long time. Martha kissed both sides of Elsa's cheeks, her brown eyes glowing. "Now come, come! We have so much to _talk_ ," Anna flushed as her mom spoke "about." Martha hauled Elsa's suitcase into the trunk, patting Elsa's fingers off it so she couldn't do it herself.

"I'm sorry about this, they are both so excited to meet you." Anna whispered to Elsa as they slid into the car, and Elsa's fingers met smooth leather, Anna's fingertips mere millimeters away and twitchy. Elsa leaned back into the leather, her muscles relaxing into it like a puddle as the air-conditioning gently wafted through the car. Just being in the car was so perfect, it felt like she's being spoiled and she didn't deserve it.

"Hello Elsa!" Henry turned around in the driver's seat, his blueish green eyes twinkling and crinkled with small crow's feet, yet his brown hair was free of any greying. But the part that made Elsa return the smile to this middle age man was his freckles, it was like seeing another half of Anna right there with all those freckles. "We just wanted to let you know right off the bat that our guest room is under repair, you don't mind bunking with Anna, do you?" Henry's smile widened, revealing the same dimple that Elsa was slowly noticing in Anna's cheeks when she became so happy.

"Oh," Elsa blinked at him before glancing at Anna, having the need to make sure she wasn't being a burden. "I don't mind as long as Anna doesn't mind." Elsa clipped her seatbelt, the sound loud in the sudden silence.

"Ah, no, no I don't mind. Who would mind rooming with their best friend, right?" Anna babbled as the silence strung on awkwardly, her face becoming flushed. A flustered puppy indeed, Elsa thought with amusement, truly it always amazed her why such things could make her flustered. But then she seemed to be more sensitive than Elsa, which Tom loved about her. . . Her stomach clenched at the thought of him, he was now plaguing her thoughts, even her dreams were filled with the paranoia of him. In the back of her mind she couldn't help thinking about how he was acting, or if he was starting to get picky. Her heart jumped with the thought of him looking for her and finding Paulina instead, since they were roommates. He already showed her that he didn't have empathy for other people, so he wouldn't care about injuring her. Elsa pushed those thoughts away, Paulina was smart enough to call the police if anything suspicious plus her boyfriend Manuel had enough muscle mass just in his arms to crush Tom, yet Tom carried knives. . . and a hand gun. . .

Elsa was pulled out of her rushing thoughts because the silence didn't stay long, Martha and Henry babbled just as much as their daughter, filling the air all about topics from the pizza to what costumer gossiped about in the salon, to how much each one tipped, and even talked about how Martha's second cousin on her father's side came in with the gull to think she was getting her hair done for free. Anna would catch Elsa's eye, making horrified faces which made Elsa's shoulders relax even more. Maybe. . . everything would be alright, at least for today. . .

~ OoO ~ OoO ~~~

Elsa treaded lightly into the large beach house, casting wide eyed glances around. It was like walking into a tv set, with all smooth and clean floors, tiny shells embedded into multiple parts of the floorwork. Anna said her parents owned two hair salons, but to be this loaded, it was like looking at a foreign language with no context. Anna didn't give her much time to gawk, already wrapping her fingers around Elsa's own and tugged her down the hallway, framed pictures of her family decorating the walls.

"We're going to put the things in the room, okay!" Anna called out as Martha closed the door, Henry already busy in the kitchen. Elsa passed black frames, glossy brown frames, all of them with smiling faces, and the sight twisted her stomach like a knife. She never had those pictures with her dad, he was always so paranoid or high. Tom on the other hand, it was like her life was a documentary and she was the biggest star, just remembering some of those pictures still made her pale features become pink. It was better if she never had pictures taken again, she reassured herself as Anna opened a white door with her name printed in elegant pink paint.

"The bed should be big enough for us both." Anna was saying as Elsa stood in the doorway for a second, hiding a smile. Really Anna would have the princess room, it was like looking at a catalogue with the dainty vanity and the wispy material that hung off the bed. The walls were filled with artwork and so many photos, she couldn't take them all in, so instead she rolled her suitcase further in.

"Which side do you want?" She asked and was met with a jerky point to the left, and set her suitcase against the matching end table. She stood awkwardly there, looking down at the full and poufy pillows.

". . . There's a connecting bathroom right there. . . so you can put your toothbrush and things there—" Anna mumbled and quickly looked away when Elsa met her gaze.

"—Anna! Should we eat outside? We installed the mosquito net last week." Martha stopped at the doorway, resting her manicured nails against the flawless paint, her expression unreadable to Elsa's searching eyes.

"That sounds great mom," Anna smiled "I'll go set the table." Then she swiftly left the room, her sandals padding across the tiled floor, and left her there abandoned with Martha.

"Her room is very pretty," Elsa branched out as Martha kept staring at her intently, which made her hair stand on end with sudden nerves. "it must have taken awhile. . ."

"Yes, but it was worth it. She's our only princess, our lucky child. We only want what will make her. . . happy." Martha slowly answered, the pause almost sharp as her expression, as if she was a mama bear looking at a potential threat. "Now come, come, I have so many questions for you." Her sharp features lightened, her red colored mouth wide in an innocent smile.

The outside dining room was just as over whelming, elegant candles lit the glass table, but Elsa got the feeling like she was walking to her own sacrifice and she didn't understand why. Maybe it was because of the candles, maybe because of the clean sliver wear for pizza.

"So Elsa, tell us what your major is." Henry asked as he pulled a gooey slice onto this plate, his eyes on Anna instead of her, thankfully.

"Ah, I am undecided at the moment actually. I'm taking general course to expand my options, though I would like to do something with the arts, maybe." Elsa looked at her pizza, the edges crisp and golden brown like a commercial. Truthfully when she applied to college she didn't have a plan besides the burning desire to leave. Her art and manuscript was her passion, but she wasn't stupid. She knew they couldn't be her career, and she wasn't near qualifying for the Olympics. She pulled the pizza apart from the middle, enjoying the sound it made, the all meat toppings sliding in the cheese.

"Well," Henry paused, as if rolling words in his mouth. "not everyone knows what they're doing." He casted a smile as his wife, his crow's feet emerging again. "I know it took Martha awhile to figure out she wanted to open her own salon."

"That's true, though I had a successful job in what I majored." Martha looked Elsa straight in the eyes again, and it finally hit her what animal she reminded her so acutely of. It was like looking into the eyes of a sly fox who was searching for any reason to bite and tear. It made Elsa's skin go cold, but she forced out a frozen like smile.

"Good thing I have some time to figure things out." Elsa's voice came out a bit like a broken icicle, sharp, crisp and cold enough to hurt. "Your cooking is fantastic." She quickly followed up, trying to fix this weird situation because it would be no good to be on bad terms with her best friend's mom.

"How many boyfriends have you had?" Henry leaned forward, some sort of excitement on his face. "—or have you had any girlfriend's?" He sipped at his wine, the candle light casting dark shadows across his features.

"Dad! You, you can't just ask these questions!" Anna protested, her whole face and ears as red as a pepper, yet her gaze turned to Elsa and was just as excited as her father. Maybe her whole family was crazy? Elsa mused as she looked at each of them through her lashes.

"I've had a few, maybe about three. . . or more. I never dated a girl, I'm straight." Elsa slowly admitted, shame making the bites she took taste like ash. Really, this whole thing was like _she_ was on trial. What did she get herself into? Were they trying to set her up with a cousin or something? Or maybe they were just too curious?

"Oh," Anna looked away from her, her eyes a bit shiny. "Well that's great, I mean if you were gay, well, shopping would be weird, right?" Anna's voice cracked a bit as she fiddled with her pizza. Elsa couldn't help looking at her like she jumped off the deep end.

"You're crazy, I'd be a dick if I thought like that. You shouldn't feel weirded out like that." Elsa peered at Anna, was her thoughts really that backwards? Gay people weren't that different, and it shouldn't change how you act with them. Just the thought of her friend thinking like that was frustrating. Yet Anna slowly looked up at her, her casted eyes wide with some emotion Elsa again couldn't pin point.

"That's great you're so progressive!" Henry clapped his hands, his wide grin back. "You know when Anna was in senior year we all walked in parade, we made shirts and everything, we even dyed our hair—the one day thing" He took a deeper sip of his wine, nudging his wife, who was giggling.

"Yes, and it took a whole week for it to come out! One day my ass." Martha's eyes glittered with amusement, her eyes locked on her husband, both of them lost in the memory, which gave Elsa some privacy.

"Hey," Elsa leaned towards Anna, whispering. "Are you okay? You're really flushed." Elsa put the back of her hand on her forehead, pushing Anna's red hair back and they curled around her fingers. It was no good, everything felt warm to Elsa's cold hands, so she let her hand drop.

"Yeah," Anna whispered back, her gaze lowered a bit. "I think I need to drink more water." She pushed to curls back as she finally peered up at Elsa, her mouth slightly open. She didn't look okay, maybe she really did have a fever?

"You girls should go to the beach right before sunrise, it's the most beautiful time." Martha broke the silent atmosphere between Elsa and Anna, her nails clinking on her wine glass, her gaze intently on her daughter. It was like watching a telepathic conversation bounced between the three of them, and it went over Elsa's head like a frisbee.

"It'll be perfect!" Anna leaned forward, her face hopeful again. And just like that all the questions were done, and the meal passed a bit more comfortably for her.

A/n:

*pokes screen* Hello guys! SO I have some things to clear up about the last chapter, which WAS written on my phone which explains all the errors in it. . . And to address the flame I am put under:

1) Her parent's may somewhat represent the fandom, but they aren't the fandom. Under the consideration of their age and other aspects it wouldn't make sense for them to write the OPT name for Elsa!Anna, which is how Elsan was printed on their shirts.

2) "Head of justice" is a very general title I gave to the uncle as things will be revealed about them. And yes, I am clearly not majoring in law or anything of the sort, so please bear with it

Lastly, if you don't like the story, then don't read. Have a nice day/night!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

Anna stared at her slopping ceiling, her eyes tired yet her thoughts wouldn't stop, replaying the conversation between her parents and herself before they went to bed as Elsa slumbered silently.

" _ **Mom, Dad. . ." and just like that Anna told them everything that Elsa told her, tears bundling in her eyes. "—I don't know what to do. I can't just do nothing." Mom leaned back, pushing her red hair up up up, revealing her high forehead. Dad stared silently at Anna, his eyes unreadable to Anna's worried search.**_

" _ **Baby dear, this is dangerous. I don't think you should be involved in this at all." Dad finally spoke as mom let go of her hair, his tone slow and tenderly soft as the kitchen light gleamed highlighted his tired features.**_

" _ **I know!" Anna slapped her hands on the marbled counter, tears still misting in her eyes. "But I—but I love her! I can't go the rest of my life knowing this and doing nothing, or the possibility of something to happen to her, and even the idea of her not being alive," those words sputtered and caught around a sob. "I can't daddy." The tears flowed down her cheeks at this point, her chest tight and air was hard to breathe. Her mother saddled up to her, and she let her mom's arms curl around herself.**_

" _ **You really love her?" Mom asked softly, combing her fingers through Anna's red tangles, her chin resting on Anna's head like she used to do whenever they cried together, like the time Anna didn't get into the hockey team. Anna nodded unable to look at her father.**_

" _ **I know I haven't known her too long, but it's something I feel in my bones. I can't place my finger on it exactly, whether it's her views, her laugh, her mentality, or her little quirks. I just do. You have to understand that, right?" Anna finally peered up at her dad, who looked about ten years older, his eyes tired and the lines settling deeper in his face.**_

" _ **I know Anna." He reached out for Anna's hands and held them tight. "You're my daughter, and I can't stand anything to happen to you. I want you to be happy but if it comes to your safety I would rather deal with your tears." He admitted as her mother held her tighter, his eyes locked now with Martha in a silent and intense conversation.**_

" _ **Love, I think we can do something. . . " Mother cleared her throat, and it hurt to know she made her own mother cry. "We're going to open up another salon this time in California, and our book ratings are going up, so I think we will be able to save enough to pay for a private investigator," Mom's voice drifted off as dad pressed his hands into his face. "They'll be able to create a case against this Tommy boy and hopefully his uncle."**_

" _ **. . . You're. . . right." Dad's shoulder's straightened reluctantly, his mouth pulled into a tight line. "At this point whether we do something or not, you're going to stay beside her, so it's better to do something then. But I want the school to be contacted so their security is more secure, AND I want both of you to join some sort of self-defense class as this investigation is underway." Anna's chest loosened, and her tears dried with her relief as she pulled her dad into the hug, which they stayed in for a few long minutes.**_

" _ **Now go to bed Anna, we will take care of the rest." Mom patted her head to make Anna slip out of her arms.**_

" _ **I just hope this girl is worth it." Dad muttered as Anna padded her way out of the kitchen, her worries already becoming more bearable, so she ignored the comment.**_

Anna turned off her alarm quickly, cutting off its high trills and turned over to peer at Elsa's sleeping form. Elsa's hair was strewn everywhere as it came out of her braid, and her face looked so peaceful against Anna's plushy pillows. She could almost dream that Elsa was her wife and that they would make strawberry pancakes together, after she'd give her a morning kiss of course that would taste like the maple syrup they would use. Anna sighed softly with content with that dream as she reached out and tucked Elsa's white hair behind her ear, resisting the urge to lay her hand against Elsa's sleeping face. Instead she curled her hand closer to herself, because that would be embarrassing if she was caught t _ouching_ her and probably extremely creepy. . .

"Hey, Elsa, wake up, wake up, uppppp, wakey wakey." Anna spoke and slowly Elsa's eyes opened and turned Anna's stomach into cotton candy. She rose up onto her elbow, rubbing her face with sleepiness.

"Meh." Elsa spoke into her hand and curled closer into herself, the covers sliding down to show her knee, which Anna told herself to not notice what else would be connected to it. "What time is it?"

"Time to get up! Sun rise is going to happen, so come on, we can't miss it." Anna all but reached out to shake the other girl with her excitement and bounced out of bed, her mind now on the optimistic scale, her thoughts full of the warm sand, the beautiful sun rise, curling her toes into the sand with Elsa beside her!

"How did you even get up this early?" Elsa grumbled and she followed Anna into the bathroom at a more zombie like pace.

"Oh I was just so excited." Anna couldn't meet Elsa's sleepy gaze as she lied and instead shoved the toothbrush into her mouth.

Soon Anna was all ready to hop down to the beach, dressed in her sexiest bathing suit with way too many straps and cleavage, even though she knew it was pretty hopeless since Elsa was straight. . . but that didn't stop the hope bubbling in her chest.

"Come on, hurry up!" Anna called out to her friend, the umbrella and fitted sheet and the other tons of beach supplies piled in her arms like a bad game, the edges poking her sharply.

"Coming coming." Elsa still zombie walked, her fingers curled in her hair in an attempt at braiding it, some locks still loose. Anna's heart pattered in her chest, watching the angel in her eyes with the lose flowy white hair, and the simple white two piece she wore modest and pure. All she needed were the wings, and then Anna really would be doomed. Or, her mind raced, she was the pure hearted virgin that she needed to capture, her cheeks heated up thinking about what all that capturing would entail.

Elsa scooped up the rest of the beach supplies and then they were out. It was only a five minute walk to the beach, but by the time they got there and picked out the perfect spot Anna's thighs were crying from the chub rub and each step was like putting salt on it, yet she ignored that, choosing instead to erect the umbrella as Elsa struggled with the fitted sheet on the now cool sand.

"How much longer is sunrise?" Elsa inquired stepping to the part where the ocean lapped foregoing to misshaped attempt at setting up the sheet, instead her face so clear with content as her toes sunk into the sand, drawing Anna's stare.

"Any minute now." Anna found herself whispering as she stood beside Elsa, her own toes sinking into the sand with delight. It started slow, but the sky rippled with pink and orange, reflecting onto the ocean waves. Anna got the feeling she was walking on clouds looking at it, weightless and worry free, and to anchor herself she reached out and wove her fingers into Elsa's, or else she'd be carried away in her bliss.

Everything would be okay. Right? Doubt curled like spider webs in her brain, casting a dark hue against the softness of the moment. Paranoia whispered _what if he's here?_ But she shoved it away, he wouldn't find Elsa so quickly, and now she had a solution. She repeated that in her thoughts as the sun slowly rose and with it the heat, Anna's shoulders pricking with the intense heat, very similar to being broiled. "I'm going to burn soon." Anna rubbed at her shoulders, leaving white outlines of her fingerprints, already firm in her decision that she was going to have horrible tan lines at the end of the day. But if this bathing suit made Elsa stare at her just slightly Anna would be okay with that.

"You have sunblock, want me to put it on your back?" Elsa inquired, already moving under the umbrella, her body tinged pinker than Anna's exposed skin.

"Yeah—yeah that would be nice." Anna's voice stuck in her throat as butterflies swarmed in her stomach, making it flip as she settled onto the fitted sheet. Elsa wasn't even touching her yet, but it felt like all her hair was risen up and when the cold lotion _did_ touch her back goosebumps broke out.

"You don't look like you'd burn easily," Elsa laughed softly, her hands moving up into the upward slope of Anna's neck like a professional massager. "Guess we're in the same boat, I burn a lot." She admitted and pulled away, all done with rubbing the lotion in.

"But you're so pale." Anna blurted, because if she did burn easily shouldn't she be tan at this point? Anna's cheeks threatened to flush, so she looked down at her legs as she applied the rest of the sunblock.

"Yes, yes I am," Elsa laughed again. "I wear the spray sunblock all the time." She leaned back, her chin tilted up, and her blue eyes glazed over into the distance with thoughts Anna was dying to know about. Anna took a deep breath and moved behind Elsa to apply the lotion, even though she didn't ask for it, but it was an advantageous position to hide her face.

"Elsa. . . " Anna's voice trailed off as she started to rub the lotion into Elsa's snow white flesh, the muscles coiled underneath Anna's gentle hands, yet there was a tenderness to those muscles as well. Or maybe that was just because Elsa had soft skin.

"Yes?" Elsa broke the silence as she rolled her braid to the side, opening up the neck area for Anna to reach. Her tone was almost as soft as her skin, yet there was a bite to it that made Anna's fingers still for a second.

"Elsa, I talked to my parents about what happened." Anna whispered and recoiled as Elsa snapped around, Elsa's hands curled tightly around Anna's wrists with enough force to make it uncomfortable. The happiness of Elsa's face was gone and instead she was looking at an ice sculpture, hard angles sharp enough to bleed. Even her blue eyes almost looked soulless, a sulkiness creeping under them that made Anna's stomach drop and become acidic.

"Why would you do that?" Elsa's voice was low, cold, yet Anna could hear the hurt in it. As if Anna betrayed her trust. Tears sprang up in Anna's eyes again as she forced herself to meet Elsa's hard and cold gaze.

"Because I want you to be safe." Anna lifted her chin, and she could feel the moment Elsa's hurtful grip loosened, her cold and dead gaze flitting away. "They are going to hire a private investigator, and then with that evidence they will take it to court. Their only requirement of you is to take a self-defense class with me." Anna forced out the words as she tried to catch Elsa's melting gaze, but she still wouldn't look at her, so she turned her wrists and Elsa's grip slipped off.

"Elsa. . ." Anna confidently cupped her hands around Elsa's face, forcing her to look at her. Her fingers tingled against Elsa's jaw, but her stomach soured from the watery-ness of Elsa's exhausted gaze. Her friend's twisted mouth opened and then shut before she settled on a nod.

"I'm sorry for hurting you." Elsa's voice was paper thin, threatening to be lost in the lapping waves, making a small hole in Anna's heart. Anna wiped away the lone tear that spilled down Elsa's face before she pulled back.

With the same quickness as before Elsa's arms were wrapped around Anna, pulling them close in a hug making Anna's breath halt in her throat before she tightly returned the hug, resting her face on the curve of Elsa's shoulder and neck slope. Anna's skin tingled where theirs met and she found herself melting into the hug, closing her eyes as she felt Elsa's chest rise and fall, Anna's breathing a bit quicker than hers. All too soon Elsa pulled away, and for the first time Anna could feel an emptiness in her body like she was missing a limb and the wound was still open, receiving the pain signals.

"I'll race you to the water!" Elsa's face was glowing again, like a tender moon Anna could gaze at forever, her smile wide and showing teeth. Yet she was up, already moving further away from Anna's aching self.

"Wait! That's no fair!" Anna yelled, scrambling to get off the sheet as Elsa took exaggerated slow steps to make fun of Anna's slow run. Her chest was buzzing, full of bees and butterflies and cotton candy, pushing Elsa into the water, their laughter mingling.

A/N: Thanks for sticking with this, and I hope you continue to enjoy this wild ride.

Announcement time! Summer is ending, and with it my college stress will be born in a very short span of time. Two days to be exact. But! This means maybe I can add some reality of them being college students, so that's up. So please bear with me as these updates go slower, but hopefully better in quality.


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